How graduates can get climate technology work in Trump 2.0

Donald Trump has reduced the financing of clean energy projects and has promised to increase the extraction of fossil fuels, but there are still employment opportunities for graduates who seek to work in climate technology.

Administration decrees to stop financing the Biden era for clean energy projects is at a time when private investment in climate technology slows down. In the first quarter of 2024, climate and energy startups raised $ 20.42 billion in venture capital funding; In the first quarter in 2025, they were late in the proportion, after having increased $ 10 billion, according to Pitchbook data.

All signs indicate that less fagging money in the clean energy sector. For job seekers who seek to penetrate the sectors of climate technology and clean energy in Trump 2.0, thinking more in a creative way could be the key to entering the field, according to investors, recruiters and founders who spoke with Business Insider.

Look for roles that meet with the climate

The start of carbon capture The carbo culture takes the biomass of waste and converts it into biochar, a form of organic wooden charcoal used in the soil.

Its co-founder and CEO, Henrietta Moon, told Bi that the umbrella of climate technology has developed in the last decade beyond the energy transition. This means that graduates can find opportunities at the intersection of sectors such as fashion, food and even finances, she said.

“We have seen how the first wave of renewable energies exceeds each prediction of price performance repeatedly, and now they are part of our infrastructure to stay,” Moon told BI.

She said that new climatic technologies are necessary to decarbonize “the whole economy”, whether food, materials or finances.

“There is a lot to do for new talents who want to roll up their sleeves and learn,” added Moon. “The know-how you use to be part of the construction of a growing industry in a growing market is universally applicable and extremely precious.”

Build general skills to switch to climatic roles

Graduates do not have to jump immediately in a role -focused role. They could start by developing key general skills that allow them to win a more fulfilling role in industry later, said Emma Halls, director of STEM7 Executive Search, a recruitment company.

“Whatever the field of graduates in climate technology, they want to have an impact, they want to think about what this first step is,” Halls at Bi told. “Because ideally, if they want to contribute and want to add value, they need expertise and professional competence behind them.”

She added that the search for wider skills and the transition to a climate role is “what we often see”.

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Target of proven markets such as solar energy

The transition of clean energy extends over several sectors, creating many opportunities for graduates in fields such as construction, engineering or finance, said that Juan Muldoon, partner at Energize Capital.

“Some of the largest renewable developers in the world are still growing, and they are still determined to provide a massive expansion of several projects,” he told Bi.

He added that graduates could target “proven technologies, such as wind, solar energy, batteries, things that are not based on complex technological development cycles”. These are not as sensitive to subsidies because they are already economically competitive and parity with traditional fossil fuels, added Muldoon.

He said that adopting a pragmatic approach is the key to graduates because “there are times and cycles when technology is more fashionable”.

“Think of the pockets of industry which are still resilient, which still have growth, which always have the fundamental economic finishing winds underlying the competitiveness of costs and areas that will be less affected by rhetoric,” he added.

Master in transferable digital skills

Students who graduate in a market that fell back on ESG expenses should strategically think of entering climate technology.

Iris Bardon, commercial analyst of the Grayparrot recycling startup, graduated in 2024, found that the best way to set foot in the door was to exploit the way in which digital innovation could “resolve tangible environmental and socio-economic challenges with precision and responsibility”.

Large and transferable skills, such as competence to interpret complex data sets, management of stakeholders and solid communication skills and data analysis, “stand out as the three main skills to get a job in this sector,” she told Bi.

Forest fires highlight

It is also worth preempting which sectors of climate technology will be more requested in the coming years, said Clara Ricard, an investor of the climate fund transition. California forest fires, for example, highlight the need for technology that can predict and alleviate forest fires.

“On the west coast of the United States, climate risk is an increasing concern,” Ricard said BI. “Another area that attracts a lot of attention is the industrial transition.”

“There are a lot of AI applications in manufacturing or scanning the manufacturing sector,” she added. “If someone is trying to work in a hot technology startup, these solutions can have a significant impact in terms of energy efficiency and resource efficiency. They are very exciting.”

Adopt the roles adjacent to the climate

Caroline Gray, the founder of the Startup Logistics of the Treefera, Gray supply chain, encouraged graduates to extend their horizons and seek adjacent to climate roles. The startup does not present itself as a climate technology company in itself, but it has found that significant part of its customers comes from the sectors of technology and carbon energy.

Graduates who wish to have a positive climate impact could apply for jobs in startups that are at the intersection of the climate and various other industries, said Gray.

“For us, we have a very scientific team-so certainly, if you come from a scientific point of view, there is an education and a level in science which is important,” she said. “In the end, the governments come and go – and the regulations take a long time to settle and go out.”